


A Bed Of Roses

by TheWhiteRabbitscousin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Hanahaki Disease, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26616838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWhiteRabbitscousin/pseuds/TheWhiteRabbitscousin
Summary: Harry Potter and the whole rest of his class return to Hogwarts for their 8th year, Harry notices something strange going on with Malfoy, and wants to investigate.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is my first fic, so please be nice! I would love feedback of any kind! thaaaanks!

It had been in in potions when Harry first noticed it, Malfoy had delicately pulled out a very posh looking embroidered handkerchief from his pocket and had proceeded to cough the ever living fuck out of himself, for about 5 seconds before gently placing the hankercheif back into his pocket. 

It was then Harry had seen it, it happened so quickly, he could have blinked and missed it, but it was undeniably there now. What had appeared to be a white flower petal had landed on the ground. It had come from Malfoy’s handkerchief, he was sure of it. Had Malfoy been collecting flower petals or something? It must have been in the handkerchief beforehand. He guessed, a bit weirded out by this new knowledge but carried on nonetheless.

When class had ended, and Malfoy had left hurriedly, Harry had gotten up from his seat and walked over to where the petal had fallen and picked it up. He looked at it, turning it over in his finger, puzzled, for a moment before being knocked out of his pondering examination by Neville Longbottom. 

“Hey Harry, whatcha’ got there?” Harry was quick about shoving it in his pocket and pretending it was nothing before a rushed,  
“ Nothing!” Had jumped out of him. Neville gave Harry a confused look, before dropping it and continuing to ask Harry if he would be his partner next class, Harry agreed, only half listening while the cogs in his mind turned.

Malfoy was up to something, he was sure of it, he wracked his brain for any potions he could think of that contained flower petals, coming up with nothing he decided it would probably be best to drop it. he took a deep breath, Malfoy wasn't up to something he assured himself. His father was in Azkaban and his mother was on house arrest, everything was fine he assured himself. Though the itch the back of his mind stayed all day.

It had only been a day later when it had happened again.  
Malfoy had been coughing a lot lately, perhaps even the entirety of their eighth year so far, which was not saying very much for they had not been in school for 2 months. Harry had been noticing it increasingly, and just couldn't help but fall into his old habits.

Again in potions, because that was the only class they had together. He had been stirring he and Neville’s silencing potion, when he had noticed Malfoy quickly pull out his handkerchief and cough into it vigorously, a few petals this time had fallen. 

There was no way those had been in it beforehand.  
Malfoy had pulled it out so recklessly anything inside it would have immediately fallen out. so that ruled out his flower picking theory. Yet again Harry's train of thought had been halted by a frantic Neville telling him to stop stirring. The potion that was supposed to be a lovely greenish blue, was now a also lovely, but definitely not correct, purple. He jumped back quickly, dropping the stirrer, in surprise before looking up and meeting the eyes of a, tired looking Draco Malfoy, who turned back after merely a second.  
Since when had Malfoy looked so tired? He looked practically half dead, the war had been hard on everyone but most people's appearances had been back to normal, cheered up or just distracted by their friends or schoolwork. Grief had taken over al of their lives, on the first day of school Harry had hardly recognized half his peers, their eyes all sunken and their hair limp.  
Whatever, it didn't matter. Sure Malfoy and him were on somewhat good terms, but they weren’t particularly friends.  
After the positions had ended he quickly scrambled after Malfoy, without thinking, to wrapped up in his curiosity, and forgetting to bid Neville farewell in his haste.  
Harry had caught up to him halfway down the halway.  
“Malfoy!” He shouted, grabbing his arm to get his attention. Malfoys body had gone rigid and he had erupted into a fit of coughs.  
“What Potter?” He had said, lacking any snark, seemingly too tired to care anymore.  
“Are you alri-“ he had started before being cut off by Malfoy's quick  
“What does it matter to you?” he spat taking his arm from Harry's grasp. Now his voice was as it used to be, leaking with venom, his eyes however lacked any trace of it.

“W-well” Harry cursed himself for stuttering “you’ve just been coughing a lot and-“ cut off yet again by Malfoy’s remark of  
“Allergies, now I'm going to be late to DADA, thank you very much” before he scurried down the hall disappearing into a crowd of people. Well, Harry didn’t know what he had been expecting, why would Malfoy tell him anything, and speaking of being late Harry was about to be as well.

Harry, bounced his knee up and down anxiously, under the table. he was trying, he really was, to not think about what was going on with Malfoy, but he couldn't stand it any longer and gave into his temptation.  
“Moine?”  
"hmm?" said lifting her nose buried deep, as per usual in some book.  
“Is it possible to cough up flowers?” he asked, a bit ashamed of himself, for his lack of 'being-ble-to-keep-his-nose-out-of-other-peoples-buisness'  
Hermione had nearly choked on her piece of treacle tart.  
“Goodness why on earth would you need to know that?” Her eyes searched his in that prying way they did, where they could pick out exactly what information she needed from you. Harry was quick to look down to avoid such a situation, a bit, ok a lot embarrassed of why he wanted to know.  
“Uh, well I,” he hadn’t thought this far ahead, “I saw it, in a, in a book, once.” he smiled looking back up at her She gave Harry a skeptical look but answered nonetheless.  
“It's a sort of disease, where flowers grow up one’s lungs, and eventually they aren't able to breathe, because the flowers block off their airway, and usually die.” An idea seemed to click into her mind, and her eyes widened. She looked up at him, eyes frantic “You're not coughing them up are you?!”

“What? No, no, no, no, of course not, I was- merely curious.” She let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand over her heart  
“Thank Merlin” she mumbled. 

This newly obtained information had Harry's mind swimming with ideas, oh dear god why does he always bring these things onto himself.

Later that evening in the eighth year common room he was sitting with Ron playing wizard's chest when Malfoy walked in. He looked up from the game, which he was obviously losing, and made eye contact with Malfoy once again. His heart skipped a beat when their eyes met, before Malfoy quickly turned his head away from Harry’s and continued on his way.

The way Malfoy walked was practically heart breaking, his high class mannerisms seemed to have all dissolved into nothingness, and he now trudged along with slouched shoulders, something past Malfoy never would have dreamed of. He knew the war had been especially hard on Malfoy, the boy had looked starved and grey, radiated weakness, and was just not the Draco Malfoy he knew, when Harry had spoken on his behalf at his trial.

He and Harry had formed a sort of truce, they no longer faught or really had the urge to, after Draco had saved Harry at the manor and Harry had saved Draco in the room of requirement, they both kinda laid off one another, neither of them had the energy to fight. A cordial hello when they passed one another was as far as it usually went.

“Ha!” Ron shouted triumphant, making Harry jump practically a foot, Ron had won, as per usual.  
It had to have been 2:00 in the morning at least when Harry had finally given up the hope of sleep and walked down to the common room. His mind had been swimming with thoughts of one Draco Malfoy, though he would never admit it, he was worried for him. Sure the boy had been a bit of a git in the past but Harry didn't want him dead! 

He decided he may as well take a walk through the castle. He only did this on sleepless nights like this one, or nights plagued with horrid nightmares. He loved exploring the castle, trying his best to get lost, just to get the rush he had gotten when he had first arrived a wide eyed first year. He wished he could go back, the prospect of his future made his insides shrivel in fear, he wasn't ready to go back into the unknown just yet. Could he not just stay here a bit longer, where things were familiar, and maybe he could even pretend the war never even happened he could pretend everything was normal, he could pretend he was normal, not some silly celebrity, who had a prophecy dumped on him at the mere age of eleven.

Harry was so lost in his own thoughts he almost missed the soft sound of someone hacking their guts out in the distance. He knew in a second just who it was and quickly ran towards the coughing. It was coming from Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Harry tried his hardest not to think of what had happened the last time he had found Malfoy here.

When he walked in, ok fine it was definitely more of a sprint, what he saw made him sick to his stomach. Poor Malfoy was sitting in a puddle of blood stained flower petals, while continuing to add to the pile, with horribly painful sounding coughs.  
Harry quickly ran to the boys side, placing a hand on his back and rubbing up and down, trying to comfort the boy. Malfoy was wearing a silver silk pajama set, that stuck to him with sweat. Harry felt useless, wanting nothing more than to stop the boys hurting, but knew he couldn't. Draco was crouched over the floor, and the blood was spattering out of his mouth constantly. He choked breathing in and a sob came out of him, as he broke out in another fit of coughs.

What was Harry even supposed to do? he wanted more than anything to help Malfoy but didn't know how, so continued to stroke up and down Malfoy's back as he contorted in pain. After what felt like an eternity of coughing, Malfoy leaned his back on Harry, and gasped for breath, tears streaming from his eyes. his legs red out in front of him, being soaked in the puddle of blood, but he didn't deem to care in the slightest. He let out a few more weak coughs, before taking in shaky breaths. 

Harry Tried to comfort him by telling him over and over everything would be ok and stroking up and down his arm. he didn't however know if that was entirely true however, but continued nonetheless. Malfoy brought a shaky hand to his mouth to wipe away the blood from his lips o his sleeve, and then letting it drop limply onto his stomach. they sat there for a while, the room echoing with Draco's painful inhales, and exhales.

“Sorry” Draco rasped, his voice practically gone, for obvious reasons.  
“It’s ok,” Harry murmured. Draco was clearly too weak to realize or even care that he was sitting in his old rivals lap, Harry was too worried to realize it either.  
“I'm gonna take you to madame Pomfrey okay?” Harry whispered, Draco just slightly nodded, too weak to speak. Harry had honestly expected more of a fight from him.  
“Do you wanna try and get up Draco?” He asked, Draco did a little nod yet again, and Harry helped him up. 

Basically all of Dracos Weight was on Harry, both his arms around Harry's neck, as he tried to stabilize his shaky legs. Harry put an arm around Draco’s waist, to help balance him, and they made their way slowly but surely to the hospital wing. As soon as they walked in, a young nurse, with auburn hair who he presumed must be the one who stays up all night waiting for a situation like this. The girl helped Harry practical carry Draco to a cot.

The nurse started to hurriedly ask Harry questions, as Draco was in no way in a state where he could talk. Harry told her about how he had found Draco and how he was coughing up flower petals. As he said the last words she gasped loudly before hurriedly running off. 

Harry looked down at Draco, he was withered and still shaking slightly, Harry sat down on the cot and removed the white hair stuck to Draco's forehead with sweat, before running his hand through it a few times, to help comfort Draco of course, not for any other reason he convinced himself. Also sense when Malfoy becomes Draco?

“Why are you helping me potter?” He whispered, as he could hardly manage to speak any louder with his voice gone. Harry thought for a moment, still stroking Draco's hair, before realizing what he was doing and stopping, his face would be beat red if it was light enough to see.  
“I-I don't know really, I know we aren't each other's favorite person but, that doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to you,” he said looking at Draco's molten silver eyes, and most certainly not trying to catalog their exact color. Draco opened his mouth to respond but both their heads snapped up at the loud banging noise made by one Poppy Pomfrey as she hurried over to Draco as fast as she could. she was wearing a night gown, a robe and slippers, clearly haven been just woken up, but her face lacked any trace of tiredness, only urgency. Poppy, as he had learned to call her, as had acquired many injuries himself, and become quick friends with the kind mediwitch, quickly flitted her wand over the boy murmuring a spell under her breath, before running off again without a word.

Draco and Harry exchaged a confused glance, before she came running back with a bottle of sludge.  
“Quick, drink this,” she said to Draco, while already tipping the vile down his throat. He swallowed thickly and shivered a bit, no doubt from the foul taste.  
“That should help with the pain, but Mr. Malfoy I’m afraid your condition is one of the worst I have seen, how on earth did you contract it? Mind you this is very crucial information, so please don't skip any details.” she pulled out a note pad while Malfoy began to speak.

“I-I was cursed, During the war. When- when Harry escaped from the manor, I-I was put to blame, and so for punishment, they all had there go at me, one of them I presume must have been to plant seeds in my lungs, or something.” Harry stood there in shock. This had happened because of him? He wanted to apologize, to thank Draco profusely, for saving him, even knowing what was in store for him. Draco was looking down at his hand, wringing them slightly, no doubt from having to retell his story.

“And when did the coughing start, dear?” Poppy asked with a calm smile, clearly trying to calm the boy, but some o her franticness still shone through.  
Uh, right away I think, but the petals started coming up about a week later.” Draco said, bringing his eyes to meet hers finally.  
“Every night around this time I have a coughing fit, but this was definitely the worst one yet.”  
“Thank you Mr. Malfoy, that is very helpful, so you have been in love with this person since before the curse, corect?” Draco looked taken aback,  
“In love, wh-what?” Draco stuttered, eyes a bit wild.  
“Yes, of course the flowers feed on feelings of unrequited love.” she looked up from her notes to look at him a brow raised, “You do know what Hanakiki disease is, do you not?” Malfoy shook his head,  
"no-no Ive never heard of it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow thanks for the support with the last chapter! please please please give me note of things you think I should change or things you liked and whatnot, I wanna become a better writer!

Harry woke up in an unfamiliar place, and a crick in his neck, and someone shaking him lightly. He moved his head from where it was pillowed in his arms and looked around. He realized, this place was not in fact unfamiliar, he was just in the hospital wing, with this realization the whole night came flooding back to him.

Malfoy crouched over and shaking in a pile of his own blood, taking him to the hospital wing, Draco telling the story of how he got to be this way. Then he remembered even more crucial information. Malfoy was in love with someone who didn't love him back.

“Mr.Malfoy what you have is something called Hanahaki disease,” Poppy had said  
“I have never seen a care this severe, but I have only seen one other case of it as well.” she frantically wrote down something before continuing. “Hanahaki disease is originally from a fairy tale, it was turned into a curse eventually, and now is seen as one of the worst curses, besides the unforgivables of course. Not many know of it because it was covered up by the ministry decades ago, but as you can see here, some still remember.”

“The curse plants one seed in each lung, and as the victim’s love grows for their unrequited love, so do the flowers. The flowers grow and grow until they block the victim's airway. The only dependable cure is for the subject of the victims' affections to return their love. Even then however the victim has to cough up the shriveled flowers, which can be very dangerous. We will need to contact you mother Mr. Malfoy. This could be fatal for you if we don't do something quick” Harry remembered the way Malfoy’s posture had sagged with defeat before he sighed and leaned back on the cot. 

“Okay, thank you.” he had whispered.  
She had told them both to get some rest and left a potion on Malfoy’s side table which she said he should take if another coughing fit should hit.” and then left turning off the lights.

“Draco, I’m so so sorry,” Harry had said moments after she left his voice cracking and he grabbed Malfoy’s hand, and squeezed, looking into the boy’s sunken gray eyes. 

“It’s ok,it’s not your fault” he had said with a sad smile, looking into Harry's eyes.  
Harry knew he should probably leave, but he couldn’t bring himself to. So he and Malfoy had talked in whispers about unimportant things before they both had eventually drifted off Harry guessed.

The shaking continued bringin Harry back from his remberings.   
“Harry, Harry, wake up.” a raspy voice said. Harry looked up to see who the voice belonged to, as it did not sound familiar at all, and seeing Draco plale hair and paler skin looking back at him. He sat up slightly looking for his glasses, with his hands, smacking around in front of him trying to feel for them, before Draco handed them to him. 

“You're going to be late for breakfast Harry, it’s nearly 7:00.” Harry sat up abruptly at that information to look at the large clock on the wall, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. 

“Shit you're right,” Harry said hurriedly, gathering himself up and then telling Draco he would bring his potions homework later, and running off. Leaving a half smiling Draco behind him. 

As Harry scurried to his room to change and whatnot, his brain rushed to think of an excuse to tell Ron and Hermione. He decided it would probably be best to just tell them the truth, or... parts of it.  
Harry made it to the great hall just in time. He sat down next to Hermionie and Ron and quickly grabbed some toast and sausages to put on his plate.   
“..Mate? Anything you’d like to tell us?” Ron said after a moment, his mouth stuffed and his eyes accusing. Harry hesitated for a moment, seeing both his bestfriends staring him down, before saying

“I-I fell asleep in the hospital wing.” he said, suddenly becoming very interested in his meal.  
“Were you hurt?!” Hermionie said her eyes wide with worry.  
“No-no I was helping someone,” he said, still refusing to look up from his food. Harry hoped they wouldn’t push further but knew he wouldn't get that lucky.  
“And who were you helping,'' Hermionie said a bit exasperatedly and rolling her hand as if to tell him to get to the point.  
“Uhh,” Harry hesitated. “Well I was with Malfoy,” He said the last part very quietly, squeezing his eyes shut, bracing himself for their reactions.  
But they never came. He opened his eyes to see two unblinking sets of eyes staring back at him with identical indescribable expressions.  
“Malfoy? What?” Ron gasped. 

“Ya, uh he was coughing a lot, it sounded like it really hurt, it was something called Hanahaki something or other.” A strangled ‘huh’ is all he got in response from Ron, but Hermionie looked at him shocked, 

“That could be fatal, is he alright?” She sounded quite a bit worried, which as a surprise to Harry, Draco had apologized to all of them before they came back to school, so the Malfoy hatred had gone down a few notches this year, but Harry was still a bit taken aback by her worry. 

Before Harry could answer her question however, the entire great hall seemed all to get up at once to rush to their first classes, and he lost Hermione in the sea of faces.   
Well he hadn't really known how to answer that question anyways, was Draco okay? He wasn't dead but he definitely wasn't so looking great as of the last time Harry had seen him.

The day went by remarkably slowly, his thoughts plagued by a certain blond haired boy.   
The Draco Malfoy that had come to Hogwarts this year was not the same person as the one who left it. This Draco Malfoy was weak and tired, as opposed to the snarky, up tight and downright rude that had once been there. 

Although Harry definitely didn't appreciate the slurs thrown at his friends he did selfishly miss the rush he got when he and Malfoy bickered. He missed sneaking around, following the boy, catching the boy in the act. The Draco that now lived in that body was just a broken young man dying slowly from a disease Harry had basically given to him. He now knew the Draco from the past was just a smaller version of his father, And while he definitely liked this new Draco better he couldn't help but feel as though this still wasn't exactly the real Draco either. What did it matter to him anyhow, they most likely wouldn't even speak to each other after they graduated. If Draco graduated, his mind so helpfully reminded him.

For the rest of the school day Harry's mind was filled with thoughts of silver eyes and white hair. What had come over him the night before? Their so called rivalry hadn't even crossed Harry’s mind the day before. He had just quickly, mindlessly run to the boy's side, forgetting the boundaries of personal space entirely, practically cuddling Draco while stroking him like a cat, to comfort him! Who does that! 

No, no, personal didn't matter when you were trying to keep someone from dying, Harry assured himself. Trying his hardest to keep paying attention to the new art teacher as she rambled on about spelling a soul in a painting or something.  
As the end of the school day neered, Harry became a bit nervous, for a reason that was definitely unknown to him. But as potions came around he made sure to pay close attention while taking notes, so Draco wouldn't miss anything, he didn't dwell on that thought for too long his head already hurt from so much pondering in one day. Though if he had he would have most certainly told himself he was just being a nice person, who cared for his friends, because I guess that's what they were now.  
When his last case finally, FINALLY came to an end he took a deep breath and stilled his shaking hands, and pushed open the door to the hospital wing. There were about 3 students other than Draco in the hospital wing. 

Draco was sitting up, looking down at what he presumed was a book, the sun surrounding his golden head like a halo.  
Draco looked up in that moment, and gave Harry a sad grin, which Harry presumed was all he could muster. After all that would all Harry thought he could muster if he was told he was going to die.

Harry walked up to Dracos cot and set his bag on the ground.  
“How are you feeling.” he asked with a small smile. Draco looked like he was about to respond but before his lips could release a sound, he began coughing into his hand Harry was quick to rush to his side, and put a hand on his back. He most definitely was not using this situation as an excuse to touch Draco.   
When the coughing subsided after about 15 seconds Draco looked up at him, his eyes watering, unfolding his hand to reveal 4 or 5 white petals, before saying  
“Flower petal?” with a smirk.

“Ya know I think I’ll pass this time.” Harry responded with a laugh. “What kind of flower are they anyways?” Harry said, then realizing he was still touching Draco he hurriedly removed his hand.  
Draco brushed the petals off his hand  
and into a bucket by the side of his bed that Harry hadn't noticed before.  
“I'm not rightly sure,” Draco rasped, his voice still gone. “Maybe roses or lilies or something.”   
“Well anyways I brought the potions work for today.” Harry said fishing around in his bag for the notes. 

After a few minutes of working harry couldn't contain his curiosity any longer

“What did the Healer you saw today say?” Draco looked a little taken aback by his question, but also very saddened.

“He said I have two weeks at best.”


End file.
